Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Excellent book that sucked me in from the first page and didn't let go until I finished it a few hours later. It opened with Sadie feeling as though someone was watching her, and noticing a man that looked familiar though she didn't know why. In her rush to get away, Sadie was horrified to discover that her brakes didn't work. Her fear leaped off the page as she realized she was headed for an Amish buggy on the road, and she made a split-second decision that could have killed her.
Ben was stunned to see a car hurtling at a high rate of speed directly down his street. When the vehicle crashed into a tree, he and a neighbor raced to check on the driver. They pulled her to safety fearing an explosion. There was something about the woman that drew him, even though she was obviously Englisch. When he went to the hospital to return the cellphone he found, he was surprised to discover that she was the sister of his friend Kurt.
Ben arrived just as Sadie was dealing with the fact that she had completely lost her memory. Her brother was with her, but she couldn't even remember him. To make matters worse, Kurt informed her that she might have been in danger because of a newspaper story he is writing. Kurt begs Ben to take Sadie to stay with him to keep her safe. Ben is reluctant, as he is a single father, and it wouldn't be proper. But when Sadie shows up on his doorstep, having narrowly escaped another attack, he can't turn her away.
There are sparks between Ben and Sadie that both try to ignore. Ben is Amish, a widower with no plans to marry again. Sadie is Englisch, so a relationship between them is impossible. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to keep that distance between them. I loved Ben's protectiveness and his determination to keep Sadie safe. He also had a strict sense of honor that had him doing his best to keep his feelings under control. Sadie was drawn just as much to Ben, even though she knew it was impossible. Things became even more complicated when Ben took her to his parents' community, and her memories began to return, especially long-suppressed memories from her childhood.
The suspense of the story was intense from beginning to end. It seemed that no matter what they did, Ben and Sadie could not escape the man who was after her. My heart was in my throat on multiple occasions, as each time they thought they were safe, something would happen, and they would have to run again. The descriptions were so vivid that I could feel the cold, fear, and exhaustion as they made their way to Ben's family home. I couldn't read fast enough as the final confrontation unfolded. The danger was intense, and I wasn't sure how it was going to end.
My heart broke for Sadie and Ben as she had to go into hiding until the case was wrapped up. Ben knew there was no future for them, but he could not deny his love for her. Sadie had some big decisions to make once she was free. I loved her conversation with Ryder, as the police officer had become an excellent friend. I liked the link to Isaac, from Guarding the Amish Midwife, and the unexpected part he played in Sadie's life. The ending was fantastic, and I loved how Sadie and Ben came together. The epilogue was sweet and a great wrap-up to the story.
I loved the secondary characters. Ben's son, Nathaniel, was adorable. He was a typical little boy, but he also had moments of great maturity. I loved seeing the way that he bonded with Sadie. Isaac was another that I was happy to see. I loved him in the previous book, and his former life as a cop came in very handy in this one. I loved his reunion with Ben and how their friendship was so easily renewed. I also liked seeing more of Ryder and really hope that he gets his own story soon.
Ben was stunned to see a car hurtling at a high rate of speed directly down his street. When the vehicle crashed into a tree, he and a neighbor raced to check on the driver. They pulled her to safety fearing an explosion. There was something about the woman that drew him, even though she was obviously Englisch. When he went to the hospital to return the cellphone he found, he was surprised to discover that she was the sister of his friend Kurt.
Ben arrived just as Sadie was dealing with the fact that she had completely lost her memory. Her brother was with her, but she couldn't even remember him. To make matters worse, Kurt informed her that she might have been in danger because of a newspaper story he is writing. Kurt begs Ben to take Sadie to stay with him to keep her safe. Ben is reluctant, as he is a single father, and it wouldn't be proper. But when Sadie shows up on his doorstep, having narrowly escaped another attack, he can't turn her away.
There are sparks between Ben and Sadie that both try to ignore. Ben is Amish, a widower with no plans to marry again. Sadie is Englisch, so a relationship between them is impossible. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to keep that distance between them. I loved Ben's protectiveness and his determination to keep Sadie safe. He also had a strict sense of honor that had him doing his best to keep his feelings under control. Sadie was drawn just as much to Ben, even though she knew it was impossible. Things became even more complicated when Ben took her to his parents' community, and her memories began to return, especially long-suppressed memories from her childhood.
The suspense of the story was intense from beginning to end. It seemed that no matter what they did, Ben and Sadie could not escape the man who was after her. My heart was in my throat on multiple occasions, as each time they thought they were safe, something would happen, and they would have to run again. The descriptions were so vivid that I could feel the cold, fear, and exhaustion as they made their way to Ben's family home. I couldn't read fast enough as the final confrontation unfolded. The danger was intense, and I wasn't sure how it was going to end.
My heart broke for Sadie and Ben as she had to go into hiding until the case was wrapped up. Ben knew there was no future for them, but he could not deny his love for her. Sadie had some big decisions to make once she was free. I loved her conversation with Ryder, as the police officer had become an excellent friend. I liked the link to Isaac, from Guarding the Amish Midwife, and the unexpected part he played in Sadie's life. The ending was fantastic, and I loved how Sadie and Ben came together. The epilogue was sweet and a great wrap-up to the story.
I loved the secondary characters. Ben's son, Nathaniel, was adorable. He was a typical little boy, but he also had moments of great maturity. I loved seeing the way that he bonded with Sadie. Isaac was another that I was happy to see. I loved him in the previous book, and his former life as a cop came in very handy in this one. I loved his reunion with Ben and how their friendship was so easily renewed. I also liked seeing more of Ryder and really hope that he gets his own story soon.
